Crossing the finish line of my first marathon was a life-changing experience... leading me on a journey to become the healthiest version of myself I can be. When I say "healthy" I am not just referring to physical fitness... I am referring to whole body health, emotional health, mental health... the whole shebang! Learn more about me

Apparel Review: CW-X Women’s Stabilyx Capris

The CW-X Stabilyx Capris are engineered to support various muscles during endurance events, specifically targeting the lower back/core plus the knee and its supporting muscles. There are panels in the front and back to support the core and hips for added stability. Plus their patented “Conditioning Web” is strategically positioned to help the muscles and ligaments that support the knee, providing a support that mimics athletic taping to minimize injury risk.

The pants come in a small bag with a hanger on the top. I ordered these online, but I would imagine they are probably packaged the same way if they are sold in stores. I pulled them out and held them up, laughing out loud… they looked so small. I kind of thought to myself, “Okay, good thing there is a good return shipping policy, these aren’t going to fit!”

There are actual instructions included on how to put the pants on, which made me laugh. I haven’t needed instruction on how to put pants on since I was a little tyke, but these are a little more technical than your average pants. You are supposed to put your feet through and then position the webbing in the right spots around the knees. Once the knees are in place, you can then pull the tights the rest of the way into place.

The interior pocket kind of bugged me, it bunched up a little and I had to make sure to push it to lay flat. I can’t imagine ever actually putting anything inside it, but then I don’t like the interior pocket in any running bottoms. Also, the seam in the crotch area kind of bothered me at first, making me a little concerned about how it would feel while moving.

I took them out for a 5 mile run as a preliminary test. This run was in the middle of the day on my lunch break. They felt a little warm, but not too hot. They felt pretty supportive and I actually questioned the need for my knee strap on my right knee while wearing them. I don’t think I would ever give up the brace on my left knee, since that’s the one I’ve had surgery on before… but I think these may provide enough support for the other knee. And the offending “crotch seam”? It wasn’t even a concern while I was running, so that’s a good thing!

Since they worked out well on a shorter run, I decided to put them to use during my 20-miler. Long runs were one of the main reasons I wanted to have some kind of compression tight, since I wanted to make sure my muscles and joints were as supported as possible for the long workouts.

The tights felt great during the entire run. They didn’t move around at all or sag in the wrong places. They did prompt a ridiculous amount of conversation that revolved around my butt, but since it was all complimentary I guess I can’t complain much.

When I had to make my pit stop I was a little hasty in pulling them up again because I wanted to get running again, thus the waist band wasn’t lying perfectly flat. Ooops… even that mistake didn’t cause any physical discomfort, but I did have some interesting looking indentations around my waist from that. Of course, I left it like that for just 3 short miles. If I had left it like that for a remaining 9 miles like I would have had in a marathon scenario, there could have been problems.

These can be washed in a machine, but should be allowed to air dry. Pretty standard care for these as many other technical clothing items. I took special care to make sure the velcro from my knee brace didn’t come in contact with them as I didn’t want them to get snagged. They are kind of pricey, retailing for about $85. I feel they are truly worth the price.

I ordered them from RunningWarehouse.com, where they had great customer service. I did not receive a confirmation e-mail (yes, I checked my junk folders… I’m pretty fastidious about e-mail!) and when I wrote to them to question that, they immediately responded with the order details and the tracking info. The ordered arrived within 2 days via UPS. I used the discount link that Chris from Gibtown Runner has on his site. I’ve gotta get a deal like that on my site, because I’ve already had at least one person that I run with follow up and order a pair of these and several others said they were considering placing an order.

hey jill, I just wanted to leave you a note in case you don’t get any updates when I reply back on my blog. With the phytomax, I take 3 per day, usually with meals. Only one day did my body feel weird, and honestly, I think it was just a coincidence that it happened on the same day as when I started taking them. I have noticed my sleep is of a better quality – that’s supposed to be one of the side benefits. Maybe it’s just mental, but I feel like they are helping balance out my diet.

and yes, definitely love the endurolytes!! They do have potassium, which can help toward the end of a long run, or the marathon, in my case.